This edited volume provides a valuable overview of the South African government's post-apartheid approach to multilateralism and diplomacy. Edited by three credible scholars of International Relations, the collection presents a general introduction to the key debates surrounding the role of an emerging middle power in multilateral fora, and the potential challenges and contradictions that this entails. Ian Taylor, in particular, is well known for his scholarship on South African foreign policy, and succeeds in contributing to a useful book for students and scholars interested in South Africa's post-apartheid approach to diplomacy and foreign relations.
The book begins with an excellent introductory chapter, written by the editors, which familiarises the reader with selected theoretical approaches to multilateralism within the field of International Relations, and also to the study of South African multilateralism in the post-apartheid period. This chapter draws substantially on the neo-Gramscian theoretical framework informing Taylor's scholarship, and provides a solid foundation to engage in a critical discussion of South Africa's reformist tendencies on the world stage. The book then proceeds with chapters dedicated to specific sites, or issues, of South African multilateral engagement, including: the United Nations (UN); the World Trade Organisation (WTO); the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM); the European Union (EU); South Africa in Africa; the Southern African Development Community (SADC); the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT); and South African peace operations. Finally, the editors' concluding chapter stresses the importance of contextualising South Africa's diplomatic activities within its broader acceptance of neoliberal orthodoxy. The editors argue that its various forms of multilateralism ‘are often serving to legitimise and entrench existing global, continental, regional and national power structures’ (p. 216).
As in all edited collections, some chapters in this book are stronger than others. The chapters written by Lee (WTO), Williams (peace operations) and Taylor (NPT) are outstanding, and provide coherent analysis regarding the difficulties and contradictions involved in the South African government's reformist approach to international diplomacy. However, other chapters fail to offer a similar level of analytical rigour. For example, the chapter addressing South Africa's participation in the NAM lacks analysis, and is instead a broad descriptive account of the NAM's history and recent meetings. In addition, the fact that not all contributors to the volume share the editors' theoretical perspective results in what some might consider a slightly inconsistent or confusing read.
Despite these minor criticisms, the editors have succeeded in formulating a productive introductory text to address the complexities of multilateral diplomacy for the contemporary South African state. Furthermore, this collection should stimulate interesting questions and discussion regarding issues such as who South Africa's foreign policy is intended to serve, and how the South African state has ‘exhibited a variety of multilateralisms depending on the setting, the issue and the audience in question’ (p. 221). Overall, this is an important contribution to the contemporary debates and discussion concerning South Africa's post-apartheid foreign policy.
